Search found 794 matches

by black jack
Fri Mar 08, 2024 8:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Checkup: I'm way behind. Hope for late bloomers?
Replies: 42
Views: 5387

Re: Checkup: I'm way behind. Hope for late bloomers?

I just want to add another voice saying that you've got plenty of time to construct a great retirement. You may feel behind the curve now, but you've presumably got another 20-25 years at your highest earning level to accumulate wealth; a lot can be done in that span. You're way ahead of where I was at your age. Like several other posters, I turned 41 with virtually nothing saved; I began a second career at age 42 in a HCOL area where I didn't reach $100k a year until I was 50, and my terminal salary last year was $160k. I only had one child, not four, to provide for, but I was the sole breadwinner for my family for most of my marriage, and a divorce took a tad more than half my savings at age 60, leaving not a lot of time to recover financ...
by black jack
Mon Mar 04, 2024 2:50 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Warrior (Netflix). Three seasons, 10 episodes each. Reportedly based on an idea by Bruce Lee. A Chinese peasant arrives in 1870s San Francisco in search of his sister; he speaks fluent English due to having had an American ex-pat grandfather, and happens to be a peerless martial artist. Several interwoven threads, including: our protagonist being drawn into the underworld of Chinatown gangs competing for power; the SF Police Department's nascent Chinatown squad (a handful of Irish cops, none of whom can speak Cantonese and so can barely communicate with the population they are policing); a saloon owner who is the unofficial spokesman for the Irish laborers who hate the Chinese because of competition for jobs (leading to occasional outbreak...
by black jack
Mon Feb 19, 2024 10:47 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Need advice for retirement
Replies: 35
Views: 5186

Re: Need advice for retirement

Thanks All Excellent advise. I did a rough back of the envelope calculations of monthly expenses and they came to approx $1777/month, say an even 2k I can meet those thru SS and then withdraw on an as needed basis from the fixed income part of my portfolio, letting the equities part grow DW is already retired and has a decent pension and that along with SS meets her needs She has a somewhat equivalent 401k plan, which I help manage. We do not have an extravagant lifestyle and enjoy hanging around at home, gardening, minor landscaping etc The reason I want to fund retirement for the both of us is that since my health is not the best, I want to save her 401k for the times when I’m not going to be around. We have no children so I want to make...
by black jack
Sat Feb 17, 2024 1:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Job title for PhD Economist Daughter
Replies: 36
Views: 3977

Re: Job title for PhD Economist Daughter

gips wrote: Fri Feb 16, 2024 2:00 am I co-founded a company where people could pick their own titles and title picking was fascinating. I suggest she facilitates a promotion for everyone and chooses the title of senior director. Hopefully, they’ll soon hire someone who chooses the executive director title, a nice win for your daughter as she’ll be able to change her title. This nonsense went on and on at our company until someone chose the title of global, senior executive director.

I chose not to have title.
I wish I'd been at your company; I've coveted the title "First Sea Lord" since hearing it (effectively the UK Secretary of the Navy), though neither my work nor my hobbies have involved naval affairs. :D
by black jack
Fri Feb 16, 2024 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Today I discovered that a childhood favorite, The Wild, Wild West, is available on Amazon Prime. 100+ episodes to look forward to.

[I'd forgotten that it was cancelled in 1969 after it's fourth season, while still getting good ratings, as a sop to a Congressional effort to curb violence in television after the assassinations and other violent incidents of 1968. That was a simpler time, before mass shootings became a weekly occurrence while we have hit shows featuring Mafia dons, drug cartels, special forces operatives and serial murderers, while Members of Congress send out holiday cards depicting themselves brandishing assault weapons. So much for the Whig view of history :oops: ]
by black jack
Sat Feb 03, 2024 2:46 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Enemy at the Door. A UK dramatic series (2 seasons, 13 episodes each, 54:00 minutes per episode), produced around 1978, about the German occupation of the UK Channel Islands during WWII (this is a TV show, not a documentary). There are two strands to the show: the interaction between the islanders and the enemy occupiers in the course of a years-long "peaceful" occupation; and the interaction between the German officers who are in charge of the occupation, showing office politics and conflict between the regular Army and Gestapo over how to handle issues that arise [I enjoy shows (and books) that humanize rather than demonize one's enemies]. It's on Freevee and has ads. The interruptions are irksome, but as LadyGeek observed abov...
by black jack
Thu Nov 30, 2023 8:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Full recording of 2022 performance of Giselle with Osipova & Camargo?
Replies: 1
Views: 372

Full recording of 2022 performance of Giselle with Osipova & Camargo?

In 2022 the Teatro Colon performed "Giselle" with Natalia Osipova and Daniel Camargo. It was streamed live. My friend would like to watch that performance.

I've looked for a recording of the full performance without success, having found only a few clips on YouTube, but I'm not familiar with the world of ballet recordings. I'll bet some Boglehead is.

Is there such a recording, and if so where might I find it?

PS I'm aware of the 2014 movie "Giselle" with Osipova and Acosta.
by black jack
Thu Oct 19, 2023 2:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What to do with your journal?
Replies: 44
Views: 7230

Re: What to do with your journal?

If you look at the incredible success of published diary excerpts like that of Victor Klemperer, nephew of conductor Otto Klemperer, who lived in Dresden and kept a journal from approximately WW1 to the mid 1960s, or the much discussed Great Depression diary written by a midwestern lawyer, Anne Frank’s diary, Malcom X’s diary, Albert Speer’s prison diary, even Alfred Rosenberg’s personal diary published recently in German on the Holocaust museum website, it will become clear that the writer is in the least position to know the historic significance that the diary may have in subsequent years. Well put. The same goes, I believe, for the interest one's descendants might feel for one's journal: you don't really know. Maybe your children aren'...
by black jack
Fri Sep 22, 2023 4:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Renewal by Anderson window prices
Replies: 42
Views: 7266

Re: Renewal by Anderson window prices

petras52 wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:20 am Hi..I recommend checking out the discussion board of Replacement-Windows.com...it's a helpful site and several regular participants are long time window installers...they can offer some good guidance on brands, prices, etc..
+1

An elderly friend interested in replacing 30 windows in her 1950s house had a nice Andersen salesperson come out to give her an estimate—$73,000 (perhaps the salesperson couldn't say it with a straight face; she wrote the number on a piece of paper and handed it over). That led me to this thread, and thanks to petras52 to Replacement-Windows.com—an excellent resource—as a result of which I and my friend both know a lot more about windows than we did before.
by black jack
Wed Sep 06, 2023 11:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712486

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Finished Autumn Bridge by Takashi Matsuoka. Historical fiction set in Japan, mostly in the 1860s, a sequel to Cloud of Sparrows. I liked it, and am disappointed that Matsuoka has published no other books.

Reading A Spectre, Haunting: On 'The Communist Manifesto' by China Mieville, and This Story Will Change: After the Happily Ever After by Elizabeth Crane, an account of her marriage in the light of its eventual end. Enjoying both.
by black jack
Wed Aug 23, 2023 12:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

jjunk wrote: Wed Jul 26, 2023 3:24 pm Just got back from seeing Barbie in the theater. I went in with zero expectations and left a fan. Its sharply written with tons of sarcastic and fun jokes. The songs are also hilarious. Ending was weird and it was maybe 15mins too long but I'm glad I saw it.
Similar experience. Going in I wasn't sure how a movie about a girl's doll could have become such a huge hit (I hadn't read any reviews), but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
by black jack
Thu Aug 10, 2023 12:47 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712486

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka.

Historical fiction set in Japan in 1861, as the gunboats of Western nations are starting to force Japan to open up after 250 years of (mostly) cultural isolation. Focus is on a minor lord dealing with other clans, his own retainers, and a pair of Western missionaries who are not exactly what they seem, whom he has reason to welcome. Well written, entertaining, recommended.
by black jack
Wed Aug 09, 2023 11:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cost for new bathroom
Replies: 34
Views: 4441

Re: Cost for new bathroom

clutchied wrote: Wed Aug 09, 2023 2:02 pm we're at $50k right now and I already did the shower myself...

I'm 43 and there are so many things I wish I could go back and tell younger 30 year old self...
Like what?

"Don't buy this house"?
"Become a plumber"?
"The bathroom's fine, stop watching HGTV"?
by black jack
Sat May 20, 2023 1:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Strategies for Permanently Reducing Speeding on Residential Streets
Replies: 139
Views: 13670

Re: Strategies for Permanently Reducing Speeding on Residential Streets

Lots of great replies - thanks to all! I'll try to address several, but first wanted to highlight shorty's post below. Ah, finally a topic along the lines of my job! Speed is critical- I forget the exact numbers but pedestrian fatalities occur about 10% of the time with a crash at 25mph, then escalate to like 60%+ at 40mph. ... This is the type of data and stats in your first sentence that is really, really helpful. Do you know of any studies I can point to that highlight those numbers? ... See figures and tables on pp. 9-11 of https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2011PedestrianRiskVsSpeed.pdf That's for your own information, and citation of sources (see also p. 12). No public official is likely to wade through the report. Search &...
by black jack
Wed May 17, 2023 1:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712486

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

... "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner c 1970. First read it 1972, didn't see what the fuss was about. First reread c age 50 and I thought, "This guy understands love and its discontents and disappointments very well from a man's viewpoint and masterfully uses his historical material to depict them. Now rereading again while nearing 75 I finally understand why it is a masterpiece. That is a great short review. Since I'm old enough (64) to appreciate it, I'm putting it on my to-read list. Thanks. Just finished Christopher's Ghosts by Charles McCarry. I don't remember how I came to pick it up, but I enjoyed it. It's my first McCarry novel, and there are nine or ten in this series about Paul Christopher, a CIA agent; I'll rea...
by black jack
Sat Mar 11, 2023 12:12 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best Temporary Bedding?
Replies: 23
Views: 1963

Re: Best Temporary Bedding?

For many years I slept on a 5" thick piece of dense foam (that I'd bought from a shop that sold foam) laid on the floor.

I've had several occasions to sleep on high quality (I guess?) air mattresses while visiting family and friends. None have been more comfortable than the foam mattress; some have been less so.

It weighed very little and was easy to roll up and carry around. And I didn't have to worry about pumping it up periodically.
by black jack
Fri Jan 27, 2023 1:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Genius on Amazon Prime.

A 2016 film about the friendship/editor-author relationship between Maxwell Perkins (editor of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc) and Thomas Wolfe.

Powerful story, scintillating script, excellent performances (Colin Firth as Perkins, Jude Law as Wolfe, also Nicole Kidman and Laura Linney). Recommended.
by black jack
Sun Jan 22, 2023 11:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sub-$500 Home Improvement Projects That Increased Quality of Life
Replies: 135
Views: 23191

Re: Sub-$500 Home Improvement Projects That Increased Quality of Life

LilyFleur wrote: Thu Jan 19, 2023 1:35 pm I bought a shower curtain with clear fabric on the upper section (it's all high-end, lightweight fabric like you'd find in a nice hotel). It makes showering much more pleasant and less claustrophobic. And I can see the clock on the wall in the vanity area through the clear section of the shower curtain. Very useful.
I've had clear shower curtains for every bathtub since seeing Psycho at an impressionable age.
by black jack
Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Just discovered Travelers on Netflix, and binged it (34 episodes). Elements of The Terminator (time travel to change the future) and The American s (deep cover agents doing agent stuff while also living mundane lives): a team of agents from a dystopian future have their consciousness transferred into the bodies of people on the brink of death (a moral choice, so as not to snuff out a life except for those that were seconds away from death anyway) and are tasked by a future AI with missions to try to alter that dystopian future. I liked the characters, their dealing with the moral quandaries they often face, and the time-travel history-altering logic. Afterwards I found that a few Bogleheads had recommended it years ago--it originally aired ...
by black jack
Mon Nov 28, 2022 10:51 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What are you most thankful for in your investing career?
Replies: 78
Views: 7576

Re: What are you most thankful for in your investing career?

SafeBonds wrote: Sat Nov 26, 2022 11:58 am Our mentor and namesake Jack Bogle would always say how he is thankful to be born in the USA. He would always use that as a counterexample against Americans who claim to be "self made" or have had no luck in amassing their fortune, just skill. He would ask them "That's great. But how did you arrange to be born in the United States?"
I too am most thankful to have had the random good fortune to have been born in the USA. There are many people in many countries who did all the right things, only to see their investments wiped out by events beyond their control. It's infinitely reassuring to live in the nation with the world's dominant reserve currency.
by black jack
Fri Nov 11, 2022 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Toaster Oven
Replies: 44
Views: 3960

Re: Toaster Oven

7eight9 wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:29 pm The Best Toaster -- https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/revi ... t-toaster/

The Best Toaster Oven -- https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/revi ... ster-oven/
I've used the Cuisinart convection oven that Wirecutter rates as the best large toaster oven almost daily for three years.

I use my regular oven maybe once a year, since this oven is large enough to handle virtually everything I need to do (but I'm a household of one).
by black jack
Thu Oct 27, 2022 8:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Is it worth pursuing a JD/MBA at 38?
Replies: 76
Views: 8032

Re: Is it worth pursuing a JD/MBA at 38?

If you’ve been fascinated with economics, business and law for years now, as you say, that’s a good reason to go into it. It’s also a good reason to read books on those topics on the weekends instead. Many topics are fascinating in bits but not full time. I’m a lawyer and I would say, only do it if you can’t imagine your life without studying those topics, getting a degree and working on it or using it somehow. Doing it for financial reasons I can’t see. But it’s your life and you really choose your own adventure in this world of many opportunities. If go down it and find that it’s a massive slog, it doesn’t mean practice will be the same. It is initially but not forever. Like anything, it gets easier and more fun the more you hone your sk...
by black jack
Sat Oct 08, 2022 1:42 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Most Tax-Friendly States For Retirees: How To Compare State Income Tax Options (by Michael Kitces)
Replies: 55
Views: 8159

Re: The Most Tax-Friendly States For Retirees: How To Compare State Income Tax Options (by Michael Kitces)

If you're really looking to relocate solely based on taxation, this is a start, but more should be considered. A lot more. Both tax and costs matter. I took a job in New Hampshire back in the 90's and stayed in my Massachusetts house. I continued paying Mass income tax but property tax rates in some of the towns in New Hampshire near my work were as much as 6 times the rate I was paying. And some of the high end towns had house prices that matched what they were in my town. So the lack of income tax (except interest and dividends) and sales tax in New Hampshire required I do the math. I did and found we'd save nothing by moving. The other thing is how are tax increases handled. CA and Mass have "props" that limit these. In Mass, ...
by black jack
Fri Sep 30, 2022 12:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?
Replies: 110
Views: 9927

Re: Which is the best pizza in a chain store?

Call me crazy but I think Flying J Travel Centers have the best pizza's. Put me in the “bad pizza is best pizza” category. I eat fancy pizza plenty but there are times where I need to go back to my college kid days with a $5 pizza. There was a funny piece in Outside online https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/love-humor/semi-rad-frozen-pizza-hero/ early in the pandemic in which the author acknowledged that while a good restaurant pizza was usually better than a frozen pizza, it might be a while before restaurant pizzas were readily available again, and even frozen pizza was okay, or in the words of a friend of his in evaluating the quality of any pizza, "how pizza is it?", with restaurant-quality pizza and frozen pizza both scor...
by black jack
Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:44 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Exercise w/o sweating. Any ideas?
Replies: 27
Views: 3323

Re: Exercise w/o sweating. Any ideas?

There's two options; one is not much fun, the other is great. The not-much fun one, to replace the cardio (walking) you're doing now, is intervals. Since you have access to a mall, instead of walking level, walk up the stairs. Maybe six times to start with, working up to a dozen or more over the weeks until your dressings are removed. You can get a workout equivalent to your two mile walks, but the period of work is so short, relatively, that between the air conditioning and the time you can take between stair climbs, you can avoid breaking a sweat. The great option is to add strength training to your workout. If you're new to it, you can get a good workout for several weeks without working hard enough long enough to break a sweat (since, a...
by black jack
Sun Aug 14, 2022 10:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712486

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

h82goslw wrote: Sun Aug 14, 2022 8:45 am I have this strange desire to read something about Rockefeller, Carnegie or Vanderbilt and their journeys through business. Any suggestions?

Also, I remember seeing someone mention a book about negotiating or being able to relate better to people in this thread and after scouring a couple times I can’t find it. Anyone remember that author and book?
Possibly you were thinking of this thread: Best Course or Book on Negotiation viewtopic.php?t=209369
by black jack
Thu Aug 04, 2022 12:52 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Shiller - S&P 500 may reach 1430 by 2020
Replies: 90
Views: 37252

Re: Shiller - S&P 500 may reach 1430 by 2020

http://www.cnbc.com/id/40862634 Before someone replies with the obligatory "Why should we care what Shiller says?", be advised that Shiller predicted the collapse of the tech/dot-com bubble and of the real estate bubble. Jack Bogle recently predicted 7%-8% average annual returns for the next decade. Shiller's number works out to 1.3% average annual appreciation from the current 1258 of the S&P 500 index. Add 2% dividend yield and we end up with about 3.3% average annual return minus fees and taxes. The Vanguard Total Bond Market index yield is currently 2.69%, which is a pretty good indicator of future returns unless interest rates go up a whole bunch. A 50/50 TBM/TSM portfolio would have average annual returns of about 3% ov...
by black jack
Thu Aug 04, 2022 12:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI
Replies: 7638
Views: 1712486

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part VI

Breath by James Nestor was very good. As the title implies, it's a book about breathing. I never would've guessed that a book on breathing would be as interesting as what it was. I'm about 1/3 of the way through this one and came to see what the Bogleheads thought. I'm about to quit; there has been no science at all just anecdote and conjecture. Not one claim has been backed up. I can't find one bad review online so I'm assuming it gets better? I started it in 2020(?) as a very hyped book with great reviews and several book of the year kudos. I share your comments. It did not make a good impression on me; I'm certain I did not finish it. Yet we appear to be in the minority? https://www.amazon.com/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art-ebook/dp/B0818Z...
by black jack
Fri Jul 29, 2022 12:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Spurred into action by word that The Americans was leaving Amazon Prime Video at the end of this month, I started watching it. So far (four episodes in), I like it: spy thriller/troubled marriage combo. I like the character of Philip, the husband. I wonder what Russians thought of this show. There are 71 more 50-minute episodes; I don't think I'm going to make it to episode 75 by Sunday night. That's too bad. Philip was the one who had the biggest character arc. (Or perhaps I should say the biggest character evolution). I'm doing my best; I'm halfway through Season 2 now. I'm late to the party on this show (2013-2018); for those who may also be late to this party, I'm really liking it. It's a spy thriller/family drama/office life combo, an...
by black jack
Tue Jul 26, 2022 12:31 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: I watched Better Call Saul and now I cannot watch anything else

I love "Better Call Saul" too, but one of the few things I grouse about is the many scenes with low lighting . I think that can be overdone. Especially when people are inside their own homes with barely flashlight lighting. Who does that?! I started noticing the plethora of low-light scenes in Season 3, I think it was, or maybe 4. So, my best memories of the show are in the law offices and in the desert...plenty of lighting haha. As for LOW lighting, I'm with you! It is some sort of infection that has taken over the television and movie world. I don't get it. I recently decided to rewatch 2001: A Space Odyssey . The special effects have held up well. And guess what, all the scenes are bright and they pop, pop, pop. No muddled dar...
by black jack
Tue Jul 26, 2022 12:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Spurred into action by word that The Americans was leaving Amazon Prime Video at the end of this month, I started watching it.

So far (four episodes in), I like it: spy thriller/troubled marriage combo. I like the character of Philip, the husband. I wonder what Russians thought of this show.

There are 71 more 50-minute episodes; I don't think I'm going to make it to episode 75 by Sunday night.
by black jack
Tue Jul 26, 2022 12:01 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

I’m biased as i watched this as a child, and although, it wasn’t a horror in my mind, such as Jason or Freddy, it was still a darn good action film. I saw Jaws in a theater, as an adult, when it first came out -- 1975. The original summer blockbuster. Perhaps twice again after that, probably on TV or perhaps Netscape-rented DVD. I think it holds up if only for Quint (Robert Shaw). The rest of the cast was great too, but Shaw stands out. You never felt he was acting but instead actually WAS the character, and a powerful one at that. Right!!! I remember being scared bleepless of him as a child!!!! I didn’t understand the significance of his backstory (or probably understood what he was saying due to his strong accent) until I watched it as a...
by black jack
Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

bertilak wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 9:45 am
doobiedoo wrote: Sun Jul 24, 2022 8:12 am "Out of the Past" (1947) on TCM.

Loved it! Widely regarded as the best film noir movie ever!
Stars Robert Mitchum, Kirk Douglas (in his 3rd movie role), and Jane Greer.
One of my all-time favorites. I rewatch it occasionally. Robert Mitchum is a favorite of mine.

He was in a lot of great movies. In addition to Out of the Past, the following are must-see Mitchum movies:
The Night of the Hunter (directed by the great Charles Laughton)
The Big Sleep (as opposed to the Bogart version)
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
(directed by Peter Yates of Bullitt fame)

I never watched Cape Fear and feel I must get to it. It is supposed to be one of his best.
A good list; I would add The Yakuza.
by black jack
Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Blackhat (2015) on Netflix.

A Michael Mann film, hence visually and musically striking with serious people doing serious, and occasionally nihilistic, things.

A box-office bomb widely panned yet still making several critics' best films of the year list. Not among my favorite Mann films, but worth watching.
by black jack
Sat Jul 23, 2022 7:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Separate property and "fairness" in marriage
Replies: 129
Views: 13726

Re: Separate property and "fairness" in marriage

To those who talk as if divorce can be foreseen ("if your marriage is strong," "divorce is not on the horizon," etc): I'm sure there's a spectrum of marriages, with apparently rock-solid at one end and apparently doomed at the other, and a lot in between. I'll simply say that for myself (a man), and for several of my male friends, when our now ex-wives told us they wanted a divorce (after 20+ years of marriage, with couples in their mid-50s to mid-60s), it came as a surprise to us. As for those who dismiss the OP's concern for fairness in financial matters in marriage: marriage may be based on love, but if/when you go through a divorce, you'll find it's very much like a business dissolution, financially speaking. And for...
by black jack
Sat Jul 09, 2022 3:18 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: TSP G Fund rate 3.00% (Nov 2023)
Replies: 231
Views: 38121

Re: TSP G Fund rate 2.500% (April 2022)

AnnetteLouisan wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 4:19 pm But the point is, my decade plus of G fund “folly” is morphing into a stealth win now. Right? Gosh this is complex!
Too soon to tell. As of now, the drop in the S&P500 (aka C Fund) has taken it all the way back down to where it was in...December 2020.

The G Fund has averaged 1.97% annually over the past 10 years to date. The C Fund has averaged 12.96% over that same period.

So you have given up 11% annually on your G Fund contributions for the past decade(plus) versus having put them into the C Fund.

Fortunately, it appears your finances will be fine nevertheless.
by black jack
Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to handle, or get over guilt from disposing, old photos?
Replies: 59
Views: 7533

Re: How to handle, or get over guilt from disposing, old photos?

It sounds like you know many of the people in the photos, or at least who they are/were.

Contact the ones you know, or their descendants, and offer them the photos. It might be a gift.
by black jack
Sat Jul 09, 2022 1:24 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: High Income Primary Earner, Logic in Spouse Working
Replies: 52
Views: 7119

Re: High Income Primary Earner, Logic in Spouse Working

Having work that they enjoy may enhance your spouse's life, and thus make them happier.

"Idle hands are the Devil's workshop."

Another consideration is that, should your spouse decide they no longer wish to be your spouse at some point in the future, the amount of alimony you would be required to pay would be less if your spouse is working. Few people think that divorce will happen to them, until it does—a lesson dearly learned.
by black jack
Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Interlude in Prague on Amazon Prime (free).

A 2017 film, set in Prague in 1787, where Mozart is brought to conduct the final performance of his hit opera The Marriage of Figaro, while also working on a new piece. He runs afoul of a evil aristocrat, whose actions inspire him to complete his new work, the opera Don Giovanni (which really did premier in Prague in 1787). Knowing something of the plot of Don Giovanni can help one better appreciate the movie, but is not essential.

It is visually stunning (both the recreation of 18th century Prague and the cinematography), filled with Mozart's glorious music, and the plot drew me in. Recommended.
by black jack
Wed Jun 29, 2022 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

JAZZISCOOL wrote: Wed Jun 29, 2022 8:38 am
black jack wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:50 pm Jeremiah Johnson on Kanopy (motivated by seeing that it was leaving Kanopy at the end of this month).

I've seen this movie a half-dozen times or so, though not in several decades; I even read the Vardis Fisher book it was partly based on (or perhaps merely inspired by).
Thanks. This is in my queue. How do you find out when Kanopy movies are leaving BTW? :happy
When I go to Kanopy's home page, I see many rows of film title/images. Each row is labeled. Scrolling about halfway down, one label is "Leaving This Month."

PS I have long enjoyed seeing your avatar, JAZZISCOOL; I'm a big fan of black cats ("miniature black panthers" :D ).
by black jack
Tue Jun 28, 2022 11:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Jeremiah Johnson on Kanopy (motivated by seeing that it was leaving Kanopy at the end of this month).

I've seen this movie a half-dozen times or so, though not in several decades; I even read the Vardis Fisher book it was partly based on (or perhaps merely inspired by).
by black jack
Sat Jun 25, 2022 3:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bookcase - how to tear it apart
Replies: 21
Views: 1930

Re: Bookcase - how to tear it apart

Too late now, but you could have listed it on Freecycle etc and see if someone who wanted a free bookshelf could come and move it out of your place for you.

I hate to destroy things before seeing if someone else wants it.
by black jack
Thu May 05, 2022 11:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dog Poop & Pee Sign for Yard
Replies: 84
Views: 6406

Re: Dog Poop & Pee Sign for Yard

Thought I was on my neighborhood listserv there for a minute. Someone complains about dog poop roughly weekly. I live in an inner suburb; there's few places for dogs to do their business other than in people's "yards." I would be embarrassed for my dog to pee or poop in someone else's yard, so I'm pretty conscientious about keeping my dog within the public right of way (the six feet or so of land nearest the street). If you have a problem with dogs peeing or pooping there, that's your problem: it's public property. I would also be embarrassed to leave my dog's poop in someone's yard or the public right of way. It's rude, and bad for the environment (can get washed into streams, etc). I pick up after my dog, and I usually pick up a...
by black jack
Tue Apr 19, 2022 3:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bread Makers
Replies: 37
Views: 2643

Re: Bread Makers

Homemade bread makes the home smell wonderful, and makes me hungry. DW doesn't eat bread so I end up over eating since the loaf doesn't taste as good the next day or after leaving it in the frig. So. . ruins my figure. :shock: :shock: Refrigerating bread is not conducive to retaining flavor and texture. Double wrapped (foil and plastic) and in the freezer can work, let it defrost fully before using, microwave is a no-no. I only bake sourdough and will sometimes slice a fresh (but cooled) loaf and freeze it. I can then take a few slices out and toast it and am good to go. As a person who has homemade bread (with no preservatives to forestall mold) around all the time, I've also faced the issue of what to do with it when I can't eat it all i...
by black jack
Tue Apr 19, 2022 3:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bread Makers
Replies: 37
Views: 2643

Re: Bread Makers

OP, Bread baking is one of my hobbies….. Have you ever made bread from scratch? If not, it’s a very enjoyable experience and not hard to learn the basics. Kneading and shaping are great stress relievers. Plus the bread, YUM! WoodSpinner I don’t have the time nor the inclination to be honest, my hobby of choice is astronomy. Let me make one more appeal for making your own bread from scratch: I recommend the book The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (they also have a website, and there are references to their approach and recipes from their book on the Web, including YouTube). The "five minutes a day" part is based on mixing up enough dough for more than one loaf; letting it rise on its own (no kneading involved); then pulli...
by black jack
Mon Mar 21, 2022 9:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066250

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Watched "Greater" on Netflix. One of my new favorite movies. True story of the most unlikely college football walk on who eventually gets drafted. It leaves Netflix at the end of the month. Thanks for bringing this movie to my attention. The phrase "the most unlikely college football walk on who eventually gets drafted" caught my eye. That's a superlative claim, and reminded me of something else that caught my eye recently. Watching the Tampa Bay-LA Rams playoff game, when they had the players saying what college they played for, a Tampa Bay offensive guard said "Hobart College." A friend went to Hobart, so I know that it's not a big-time football factory; it's a Division III school (Div III schools don't even...
by black jack
Wed Feb 23, 2022 1:47 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Tales from this insane real estate market [Home sales]
Replies: 2905
Views: 515121

Re: Tales from this insane real estate market

It was great while it lasted. USA was an aberration among the developed world with cheap and abundant necessities and luxuries. Most people in the developed nations live in smaller apartments, no car or garage, no vacations etc with prices almost double of what used to be in US. Time to tamp down the American dream. Earlier everyone adapts to the new reality happier everyone will be. You got part of that wrong: USA was an aberration among the developed world with little or no vacation time, expensive health care provided mostly through employers such that millions had no health care because they were unemployed or employed in low-wage jobs with no health care, relatively high rates of child poverty, etc. It was great for many, and still is...
by black jack
Sat Feb 05, 2022 12:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689651

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

On Amazon Prime DW & I just watched Reacher Episode 1 of Season 1. All I can say is Wow! They totally got the essence of Jack Reacher in the Lee Child novels. The Reacher Actor - Alan Ritchson knocked it out of the park. Much better than Tom Cruise in the couple movies. We got to pace ourselves, else we will be binging all 8 episodes this weekend. :sharebeer I strongly agree. I binged four episodes last night. IIRC, this series follows the book plot very well. Most importantly, Alan Ritchson looks and acts exactly like how I pictured Jack Reacher from the books. (I enjoyed the Jack Reacher movies, and I like Tom Cruise, but he's not the image of Reacher.) Completely agree. I also liked the Tom Cruise Reacher movies, but Ritchson is a b...
by black jack
Tue Jan 18, 2022 1:58 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Local inflation
Replies: 8
Views: 1110

Re: Local inflation

I live in a quickly growing tech city (Seattle) and even before last year's rise in inflation, prices here have been quickly and steadily rising, especially on anything that affluent people want. As an investor, is there any way to manage this situation well other than owning physical real estate in that specific area or local companies? As an investor, other than owning physical real estate in that area: no. Maybe: find a good project manager in an existing local company that does remodeling of higher-end homes, and offer to help that person start their own company. Or maybe the same with managing condominium buildings. Presumably the income of such firms would rise with any rise in the value of local housing. I don't really want to buy a...
by black jack
Sat Jan 15, 2022 7:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Wordle [Anyone playing Wordle?]
Replies: 393
Views: 43395

Re: Wordle [Anyone playing Wordle?] spoiler, today’s answer is revealed

I am curious if WORDLE adjusts to geographic regions. For example, favor in a legitimate word in the U.S. but in the U.K. favour is too long. Victoria The creator stated he doesn’t want it too hard and is not using obscure words. His database contains approximately 2400 words. My point is that in the U.S., favor is a legitimate word, but for someone in the U.K., it does not make sense because they use favour . And so I'm curious if people around the world get the same daily word and whether everybody must assume American spelling. Victoria A related article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/01/13/wordle-game-american-english-favor/ Remember this a free site with no advertising, created for someone using American English. I'm hopin...